Arcane Legends Review

Spacetime Studios spreads their wings from the mobile MMO genre with Arcane Legends, their recently released co-op RPG. Following on the heels of Pocket Legends and Space Legends, we’ll take a look to see if the mobile MMORPG genre has been perfected or if we’re dealing with a game that’s far from legendary.

Listen now:

Team up with friends from all over the world in this new online co-operative RPG.Playable on iOS, Android, PC or Mac, this free-to-play game features:

Free to play forever

Unlock and customize class abilities

Collect mystical pets that help you

Find legendary weapons and items

Play in Co-Op or Solo Mode

Pros and Cons

If you’re tired of the multitude of choices that you typically have to make before you get into game with an MMO or an RPG, then you’re in for a treat. One of three classes, some basic color choice, and picking your pet are all the decisions that you’ll have to make before you head into game. While this doesn’t make for much individuality with your character, it does get you to the action very quickly.

Speaking of the action, there’s plenty of it! I focused on the mage class, and really enjoyed blasting large groups of enemies with my devastating fireballs and making the air crackle with my lightning bolts. Add to that my shield spell, and a few dozen health potions, and I felt near invincible. It may very well have been my playing style, but I could see myself spending way too much money on those potions just to survive. Fun but expensive.

If you’re familiar with Pocket Legends, then the controls will seems instantly familiar to you. A virtual joystick located at the bottom left of the screen allows you to easily guide your avatar through the world. The abilities (4 maximum) that you can as you level are on the right side of the screen laid out within easy thumb reach.

Another familiar element for Pocket Legends veterans will be the chopped up nature of the Arlor, the persistent world of Arcane Legends. There are small, mob filled zones strung together like grapes on a vine. I did find it a little tedious to constantly have to port from area to area, but the load times were quite short, so it’s wasn’t like the old Asheron’s Call ports where I’d get up and make coffee after entering a portal.

While I was given some points from Spacetime Studio to spend in the store, I tried to play for the first five levels or so as a completely free to play player, and I found the experience to be reasonably satisfying. I didn’t feel that I was hampered by not spending money in the store, and the game, as far as I could tell, was wide open for me to explore. Once I did spend the points to get better gear, I found myself wading through the waves of mobs without much effort at all, as I had healing and mana potions galore, and with no cool down and only the depth of my wallet limiting me, I drank those down like candy as I incinerated mobs with fireballs and shocked them to jelly with lightning bolts.

For all you collectors out there, Arcane Legends also bring a collectibles element to the game in the form of Pets. These battle ready companion will follow you around like a trusty companion, valiantly putting themselves in the line of fire to battle at your side. A nice addition to the game, although they play more of a combat role than the Torchlight vendor helper variety of pet.

While I’m not ready to say that I’ve found the perfect mobile game yet, I did find myself having a lot of fun in Arcane Legends. The world, while fairly simple, is colourful and fun, and the combat was action packed if simple. If I had a long commute on public transit, I could see myself spending many hours on my phone. As someone who drives to work every day though, I could not find enough in the game to pull me away from the more full featured games that I can play on my PC.

It’s the Little Things

No cool down on potion. Finally I can do my best Leroy Jenkins impression and live!

Comfortable control on a tablet that didn’t cramp my hands after five minutes of game time.

Pay to win gear in the store means those with more money will have an easier leveling experience.

Rating

3 – A Hit

The game is fun to play and action packed. My time in Arlor was a fun packed mini-bite of MMO goodness. The problem for me that there just wasn’t enough depth in the game for me to play when I was at home, and too much time required for me to play when I was out of the house.

Our Ratings:
1 out of 4 – Miss: Disappointing, just like rolling a 1 to hit
2 out of 4 – Glancing Blow: A good attempt that doesn’t quite connect
3 out of 4 – Hit: Solid, but falls short of greatness
4 out of 4 – Critical Hit: So awesome it makes us want to /dance